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Deceived
Deceived by the government. Exposed by her powers.
The Community concocted a lie to conceal the truth about her—and students like her.
She’s in their grasp.
But she’s not going to sit back and let them hurt her or her friends.
Can she escape?
Or will she drown in the Community’s deception?
Begin your dystopian journey into the Community’s dark secret... read this thrilling novella today!
* * *
Note: Deceived is the first part of Galina’s Saga, but also serves as a good introduction to the Distant Horizon universe.
The Community concocted a lie to conceal the truth about her—and students like her.
She’s in their grasp.
But she’s not going to sit back and let them hurt her or her friends.
Can she escape?
Or will she drown in the Community’s deception?
Begin your dystopian journey into the Community’s dark secret... read this thrilling novella today!
* * *
Note: Deceived is the first part of Galina’s Saga, but also serves as a good introduction to the Distant Horizon universe.
ebook
Published September 22, 2019
5 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Flint
41 books56 followersHello, and thanks for visiting my Goodreads page. :-)
Though all my new works should show up on this page, please visit my Stephanie Bibb account if you want to see what I've read or follow my reviews.
Also, I have a Wordpress blog where I talk about writing and book cover design here.
Feel free to ask me questions through Ask the Author, and I'll get to them as I can. :-)
Thanks!
Stephanie Flint
~
Stephanie Flint (formerly Stephanie Bibb) graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in photography and a minor in creative writing. She merged the two interests into book cover design and photographic illustration, but she particularly enjoys writing speculative fiction and plotting her stories in the form of table-top RPGs with her creative partner, Isaac. They cofounded Infinitas Publishing in June 2015.
Though all my new works should show up on this page, please visit my Stephanie Bibb account if you want to see what I've read or follow my reviews.
Also, I have a Wordpress blog where I talk about writing and book cover design here.
Feel free to ask me questions through Ask the Author, and I'll get to them as I can. :-)
Thanks!
Stephanie Flint
~
Stephanie Flint (formerly Stephanie Bibb) graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in photography and a minor in creative writing. She merged the two interests into book cover design and photographic illustration, but she particularly enjoys writing speculative fiction and plotting her stories in the form of table-top RPGs with her creative partner, Isaac. They cofounded Infinitas Publishing in June 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 22, 2021
Great start for a gripping new series
***NO SPOILERS***
This is the first work I've read by these authors. I was intrigued from the start of the book and read it in one sitting. I read a lot (as opposed to watching TV) and there have been few that manage to reel me in immediately and get read in one sitting.
The story is set in a dystopian future, though that isn't immediately apparent. Everyone lives in "The Community" where everything is just fine. There are a few rules that people must follow to help keep the Community secure. Our protagonist, a water loving teen who'd rather be in the pool than anywhere else and dreams of eventually living by the sea. She needs to keep her grades up to hopefully get a job as a swimming instructor or lifeguard but really isn't a devoted student. For some reason, she also stops following the Community's requirement to take her daily pill to keep from coming down with the deadly plague. But with no incidents for decades, she's skeptical that there is really any chance of infection. So she stops taking them. That triggers the start of the unexpected and unwanted dealing with the fallout from her decision.
The authors did a good job of developing the characters and the plot throughout the story. Their handling of the tension that builds as the protagonist learns more and more that reality doesn't match what they've been told. Dealing with this new reality is the source of plot friction and their dealing with it sets the stage for the next book in the series. Which I cannot wait to read!
So if you are looking for a good, interesting read I would recommend this not just because it was exactly that but also because there will be more coming with the continuation of the story in follow-on books.
***NO SPOILERS***
This is the first work I've read by these authors. I was intrigued from the start of the book and read it in one sitting. I read a lot (as opposed to watching TV) and there have been few that manage to reel me in immediately and get read in one sitting.
The story is set in a dystopian future, though that isn't immediately apparent. Everyone lives in "The Community" where everything is just fine. There are a few rules that people must follow to help keep the Community secure. Our protagonist, a water loving teen who'd rather be in the pool than anywhere else and dreams of eventually living by the sea. She needs to keep her grades up to hopefully get a job as a swimming instructor or lifeguard but really isn't a devoted student. For some reason, she also stops following the Community's requirement to take her daily pill to keep from coming down with the deadly plague. But with no incidents for decades, she's skeptical that there is really any chance of infection. So she stops taking them. That triggers the start of the unexpected and unwanted dealing with the fallout from her decision.
The authors did a good job of developing the characters and the plot throughout the story. Their handling of the tension that builds as the protagonist learns more and more that reality doesn't match what they've been told. Dealing with this new reality is the source of plot friction and their dealing with it sets the stage for the next book in the series. Which I cannot wait to read!
So if you are looking for a good, interesting read I would recommend this not just because it was exactly that but also because there will be more coming with the continuation of the story in follow-on books.
January 18, 2025
I received a free copy of this book which has already been published from the authors in return for a honest review.
This book makes me think of 1984, Brave New World
and Fahrenheit 451 in a future where society has de evolved into letting governments tell people what to think, do and say. They have told the people of a terrible plague that ravished the land and that if they don’t take a certain pill that they’ll start hallucinating.
The people believe the government but when a girl stops taking the pill and starts seeing things that aren’t real, she believes the plague is still there and goes to get treated thinking she is infected.
Turns out she’s not but she is taken to a facility where she meets others who are like her and one tells her the truth that they’ve all been lied to and that each person brought there possesses a “ power” that the government wants but what they have in mind for all of them is truly monstrous!
Her group makes a break for it but one is killed but the rest escape and end up in a place called Kariz.
This is the first of a two part book, the second being
Betrayed which I will read next.
It’s an interesting read and if you enjoyed those books I mentioned above, I know you’ll like this book
and will want to continue reading the next book Betrayed as I am about to do.
I recommend this book as an enjoyable read and also as a warning that what governments tell the people may not really be the truth as Galina finds out! Think of the COVID 19 scare of a few years ago that we all were all told about and what resulted from it!
I look forward to continuing the story to find out what happens next!
This book makes me think of 1984, Brave New World
and Fahrenheit 451 in a future where society has de evolved into letting governments tell people what to think, do and say. They have told the people of a terrible plague that ravished the land and that if they don’t take a certain pill that they’ll start hallucinating.
The people believe the government but when a girl stops taking the pill and starts seeing things that aren’t real, she believes the plague is still there and goes to get treated thinking she is infected.
Turns out she’s not but she is taken to a facility where she meets others who are like her and one tells her the truth that they’ve all been lied to and that each person brought there possesses a “ power” that the government wants but what they have in mind for all of them is truly monstrous!
Her group makes a break for it but one is killed but the rest escape and end up in a place called Kariz.
This is the first of a two part book, the second being
Betrayed which I will read next.
It’s an interesting read and if you enjoyed those books I mentioned above, I know you’ll like this book
and will want to continue reading the next book Betrayed as I am about to do.
I recommend this book as an enjoyable read and also as a warning that what governments tell the people may not really be the truth as Galina finds out! Think of the COVID 19 scare of a few years ago that we all were all told about and what resulted from it!
I look forward to continuing the story to find out what happens next!
October 13, 2021
Deceived by Stephanie and Isaac Flint is the first novel in the Galina Saga. Galina is a teen who is a free spirit. She lives in a community where there are few rules, but the rules there are must be followed, no questions asked. One rule is that you have to take a pill every day. The pill is required because at one time there was a deadly plaque. It has been many many years since the time of the plaque so Galina sees no reason to continue taking the medicine, so she stops. The consequences are life threatening, not just because of the plague but also because she is not following the rules and this has led to the discovery of a dark deep secret. "This is a brilliant read ... well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start. Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable. Great suspense and action with and wonderful world building. I gave this honest, voluntary review after being given a free copy of the novel.
February 6, 2025
I received an ARC of this book and this is my voluntary review.
This was an interesting YA story, that grabs a hold and won't let go, fortunately it's not a long book, that can be read in one sitting. Also, the second part is available, which is good because the end of the book isn't the end of the story. It is dystopian, but that is not immediately obvious. It has tones of 1984, and other authoritarian societies, where all is well, as long as you follow the rules, and believe the powers that be, and of course Galina doesn't! But luckily she meets others like herself, and they are each different in abilities and character, so the interactions between them are interesting. I would recommend this series. and this author.
This was an interesting YA story, that grabs a hold and won't let go, fortunately it's not a long book, that can be read in one sitting. Also, the second part is available, which is good because the end of the book isn't the end of the story. It is dystopian, but that is not immediately obvious. It has tones of 1984, and other authoritarian societies, where all is well, as long as you follow the rules, and believe the powers that be, and of course Galina doesn't! But luckily she meets others like herself, and they are each different in abilities and character, so the interactions between them are interesting. I would recommend this series. and this author.
February 5, 2025
A well written story set in a dystopian world where there are few rules to follow but they must be followed. We meet Galina who breaks one of those rules and this is her story. Well paced and with wonderful world building, you find yourself glued to the pages, to find out what happens when she doesn’t take the daily pill. Will she get the plague? Will she die? It’s exciting, it’s gripping and it’s full of mystery, suspense and twists and turns galore and I look forward to the next book!
February 16, 2025
I hope this never happens
It's the way future ( I hope) and children are raised to fear and treat a distance disease with a daily pill. But after one character joins others in a government treatment facility to be cured, they find out that they all have powers and the cure is just a ruse and the facility is there to "change" them into different beings and?
It's the way future ( I hope) and children are raised to fear and treat a distance disease with a daily pill. But after one character joins others in a government treatment facility to be cured, they find out that they all have powers and the cure is just a ruse and the facility is there to "change" them into different beings and?
May 5, 2023
An Interesting read - would be worth following up on the rest of the series.
January 29, 2025
We are from the government, we are here to help you.... Lies are society's foundation. Purchased this edition on January 28, 2025, for free. Read Kindle book using Alexa audio asset.
February 14, 2020
Flint draws upon the combination of rebellion and naivety in the normal teenage mind to create a science-fiction conspiracy that provides emotional complexity without requiring byzantine convolutions.
While this novella is set in the same universe as Distant Horizon and events happen shortly before that book, it is an independent narrative rather than a prequel.
Everyone in the Community takes daily pills to protect against a plague that ravaged the world decades ago. Galina has dutifully taken the pills throughout her childhood; however, as she approaches adulthood she reasons that the plague was contained years ago so there’s no need to put up with the symptoms of the pills. At first, she feels great, but then she starts to see things, the first sign of potential infection. As the Community’s response appears less and less compassionate, how can she separate actual conspiracy from plague-caused paranoia.
Any plot that centres on the possible existence of a massive conspiracy misleading an entire population risks tipping too far in one direction to keep reader belief: either the protagonist encounters a few things that could be interpreted as suspicious and immediately leaps from trusting the system to realising the truth; or the protagonist clings to their belief that the system is good in the face of massive evidence to the contrary. Fortunately, Flint steers between these extremes, presenting a protagonist who—while potentially slight more or less trusting than a particular reader—is likely to appear plausibly conflicted between truth and lies.
Flint’s choice of challenges is equally well balanced. While she does not gloss over the thought-wracking that questioning one’s entire society would cause, many of the situations Galina faces require an immediate physical or social response; thus the story has a sense of ongoing action rather than merely introspection pending more evidence.
The ending of the book has a strong sense of the story not being finished. However, there is a solid plot arc and minor arcs that are concluded tidily, giving this the feel of the first volume in a series rather than only part of a book.
Galina’s exposure to the Community potentially not being what it seems makes this an ideal entry point to the universe for new readers. Equally, although the secrets Galina uncovers will not be new to returning readers, Galina’s journey to discover them is different from protagonists in other series, so this novella is likely to provide a pleasingly fresh perspective rather than feel repetitious.
Galina is a very suitable protagonist for the story. She isn’t a naïve idiot but she also isn’t an emotional or intellectual genius. In addition to adding plausibility to the story, this allows both for her to notice possible oddities from which readers can draw their conclusion and for her to sometimes need explanations that grant the reader background information on the world. She is similarly a normal teenager rather than an outlier, flitting between petty rebellion and family, arrogant confidence and self-doubt, allowing both for failing through lack of maturity and succeeding thorough sheer luck.
The supporting cast are similarly well-integrated, with both a clear distinction between adults and teenagers and a sense of each character being a complex individual rather than a stereotype or foil for Galina.
Overall, I enjoyed this novella. I recommend it to readers seeking young adult dystopian science fiction that isn’t a dramatic rebellion or a angst-ridden romance.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
While this novella is set in the same universe as Distant Horizon and events happen shortly before that book, it is an independent narrative rather than a prequel.
Everyone in the Community takes daily pills to protect against a plague that ravaged the world decades ago. Galina has dutifully taken the pills throughout her childhood; however, as she approaches adulthood she reasons that the plague was contained years ago so there’s no need to put up with the symptoms of the pills. At first, she feels great, but then she starts to see things, the first sign of potential infection. As the Community’s response appears less and less compassionate, how can she separate actual conspiracy from plague-caused paranoia.
Any plot that centres on the possible existence of a massive conspiracy misleading an entire population risks tipping too far in one direction to keep reader belief: either the protagonist encounters a few things that could be interpreted as suspicious and immediately leaps from trusting the system to realising the truth; or the protagonist clings to their belief that the system is good in the face of massive evidence to the contrary. Fortunately, Flint steers between these extremes, presenting a protagonist who—while potentially slight more or less trusting than a particular reader—is likely to appear plausibly conflicted between truth and lies.
Flint’s choice of challenges is equally well balanced. While she does not gloss over the thought-wracking that questioning one’s entire society would cause, many of the situations Galina faces require an immediate physical or social response; thus the story has a sense of ongoing action rather than merely introspection pending more evidence.
The ending of the book has a strong sense of the story not being finished. However, there is a solid plot arc and minor arcs that are concluded tidily, giving this the feel of the first volume in a series rather than only part of a book.
Galina’s exposure to the Community potentially not being what it seems makes this an ideal entry point to the universe for new readers. Equally, although the secrets Galina uncovers will not be new to returning readers, Galina’s journey to discover them is different from protagonists in other series, so this novella is likely to provide a pleasingly fresh perspective rather than feel repetitious.
Galina is a very suitable protagonist for the story. She isn’t a naïve idiot but she also isn’t an emotional or intellectual genius. In addition to adding plausibility to the story, this allows both for her to notice possible oddities from which readers can draw their conclusion and for her to sometimes need explanations that grant the reader background information on the world. She is similarly a normal teenager rather than an outlier, flitting between petty rebellion and family, arrogant confidence and self-doubt, allowing both for failing through lack of maturity and succeeding thorough sheer luck.
The supporting cast are similarly well-integrated, with both a clear distinction between adults and teenagers and a sense of each character being a complex individual rather than a stereotype or foil for Galina.
Overall, I enjoyed this novella. I recommend it to readers seeking young adult dystopian science fiction that isn’t a dramatic rebellion or a angst-ridden romance.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
September 21, 2019
This novella follows several young characters in a world where a plague existed in the past and has been eradicated. The characters all take a pill to ensure they do not contract this plague. What happens of you don’t take the pill? Do you get the plague? How fast is the onset if you get it? What are the symptoms? Is there a treatment/cure? Each of the questions is the basis for this story, its upcoming sequel and a related story Distant Horizon. If you enjoy science fiction, action, mystery/intrigue, grab a copy and dive in, you might just get hooked. I received an Advance Reader Copy and chose to [provide this review.
October 14, 2019
This novella follows Galina and what happened when she chose to break a simple rule of the Community. I thought it was well written and grabbed my attention by the end of chapter 1. It was a crazy read that made me finish it in one sitting. The story set up a great story line that I just cannot wait to see what happens next. The ending left too many ideas of what might happen next. Just a great read that makes me want to read more. I received a copy from the author and chose to review as it was a great mix of confusion and mystery.
September 23, 2019
A great intro to Galina, a young teen who is developing powers. She has been taken by the government, deceived into believing that they want to help her, instead they have other motives behind gathering "special" people. Once she understands that, she has no choice but to try to escape.
October 3, 2019
I loved this short story! Galina is a very compelling character. I was appalled by the treatment center and all the horrors within its walls. Reading this story whet my appetite to read more books in this exciting series!
October 30, 2019
I really enjoyed this short story which is the first in a new series by Stephanie & Isaak Flint! Great beginning, surprises & twists which are pleasing! Nice mix of end of the world & magic powers! Looking forward to reading more by these writers!
January 28, 2020
A fast flowing storyline. Galina chooses to misbehave and violate a law. The story builds and builds leaving you wanting to read more. This is a book you don't want to put down until the end. Characters really begin to develop as you get along in the book. Received a ARC copy.
September 25, 2019
A good wee introduction into a much bigger story. Was very interesting and flowed well. Interesting characters that grew as the story went on. Nice set up for the main novel
November 11, 2019
very intersting. People taking pills for a treat Long fogottenbut really to restrain their powers. Galina' power is water and she may have to use it to Keep alive.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews